Dogwoof has acquired international sales rights to “2000 Meters in Andriivka” by Ukrainian director and Pulitzer Prize-winning AP journalist Mstislav Chernov, and director of the 2024 Academy Award-winning Best Documentary feature “20 Days in Mariupol.” “2000 Meters in Andriivka” is scheduled to have its world premiere on January 23 at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the World Documentary Competition.
Dogwoof will launch international sales for the film at Sundance. The documentary will be distributed by PBS Distribution in North America. This marks Dogwoof’s second collaboration with Chernov and “Frontline” on PBS and the Associated Press after “20 Days in Mariupol.”
“20 Days in Mariupol” provided viewers with an insight into the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its civilian casualties. Now, in 2000 Meters to Andreevka, Chernov turns his lens on Ukrainian soldiers — who they are, where they come from, and the impossible decisions they face in the trenches as they fight for every inch of territory.
Amid a failed counterattack in 2023, Chernov and his AP colleague Alex Babenko follow a Ukrainian platoon through a mile of heavily fortified forest on their mission to liberate the small Russian-occupied village of Andreevka. But as “2000 Meters to Andriivka” reveals, the further the soldiers advance through their devastated homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.
Weaving together Ukrainian army camera footage and moments of contemplation, Chernov depicts the war in his country from a personal and devastating point of view. “2000 Meters to Andreevka” documents an emblematic battle of the wider Russia-Ukraine war – the largest military operation in Europe since World War II – and offers a view of modern warfare reminiscent of battles fought nearly a century ago.
Olly Harbottle, chief content officer at Dogwoof, said: “Following the global acclaim of 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstislav has not only cemented his place as one of the most courageous journalists in the industry, but has been relied upon to deliver an incredibly immersive and awe-inspiring experience. A cinematic piece of filmmaking To capture the tragic despair of war for those fighting on the ground. We are honored to reunite with PBS Frontline and the Associated Press to bring this extraordinary film to audiences around the world.
“We are thrilled to once again work with Dogwoof to bring this important eyewitness journalism to audiences globally,” said Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP. “‘2000 Meters to Andreevka’ provides an unflinching view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, showing what is really happening on the ground.”
The film is produced by Frontline Senior Editor and Producer Michelle Mizner and Rani Aronson Rath, the show’s editor-in-chief and executive producer. Edited by Mizner. The film is a co-production and includes additional cinematography by Babenko. The music is composed by two-time Grammy Award-winning composer and music producer Sam Slater (“Chernobyl,” “Joker”).